Are you done with church? Does it feel judgmental and exclusive, irrelevant and even harmful? We get it. And we also understand that humans are hungry for connection, for belonging, for anchoring our lives in something bigger, even if organized religion hasn’t helped.
Those universal questions and longing have prompted our theme for 2023-24. In sermons and small groups, discussions over a beer, and through hands-on service opportunities, we’ll explore paths towards a deeper, more fulfilling life, a whole-hearted faith and faith community. A life where we know how deeply and unconditionally we are loved by God; and how deeply connected we are to one another. A life grounded not in perfection, but in humanity, authenticity, and joy. When we realize how much God loves us, we’re going to learn how to love better.
Some of the inspiration for our theme grew out of a book entitled Wholehearted Faith, by Rachel Held Evans. Evans was a self-described “Super Christian” who left the evangelical church of her youth when her questions were silenced, her doubts belittled, and the disconnect between her religion and science and culture created a sense of fragmentation and downright misery. The book, completed by a close friend after her death at age 34 from an unidentified infection, chronicles her quest for spiritual wholeness. We invite you to join the journey with us in whatever ways draw you—not merely to church, but to a wholehearted life.
